Garden Grove reaches labor deal with police

GARDEN GROVE – City leaders have approved a new labor deal with rank-and-file members of the Police Department, calling for what amounts to a salary increase of more than 7 percent over the next two fiscal years.

The new contract with the Garden Grove Police Association includes officers and sergeants and runs to June 30, 2015. It calls for a 2percent salary raise in each of the next two fiscal years in addition to a one-time 3percent salary increase to offset a state law requiring public employees to contribute 3percent more to their own retirement accounts.

“Both sides recognized the continuing difficult financial circumstances facing the city and worked diligently to arrive at affordable and responsible terms,” wrote Human Resources Director John Clark in a memo to City Manager Matt Fertal.

City officials and members of the police association negotiated terms of the deal from April through August. The contract was quickly and unanimously passed at a council meeting last week.

The annual salary range for Garden Grove police officers stretches from $68,376 to $91,620, not including overtime, benefits and other pay, according to data provided to the State Controller's Office in 2011. The highest earning officer in 2011 took home $149,977, according to the data.

The new labor contract comes nearly three months after the City Council passed a $95.7million budget with a funding deficit of about $5.9million. Along with selling surplus property and dipping into reserves, city officials have implemented employee furloughs at City Hall and a hiring freeze to offset revenues drops through the economic downturn.

“We are seeing a slight improvement (in the economy),” Clark said. “But there's probably an equal concern about staffing levels as there is for salary.”

The city's cops have gone without pay increases in three of the last four years and the department's ranks have been cut by 13 positions since 2009 because of retirements, Clark said. The department was at a high of 172 sworn positions in 2009 and is now down to 159 sworn officers.

“Crime hasn't gone away,” Clark said. “We're not in a track yet to add positions back yet that were eliminated. We're looking at a modest salary increase because we're asking guys to work hard and pick up more work that was once done with more guys.”

The contract also calls for an increase in the annual sell-back of accumulated sick leave in excess of 240 hours from 70 cents per dollar to 75 cents per dollar. Police officers will also be able to cash out 100percent of their accumulated sick leave after retirement, up from 75percent under the previous contract.

The compensation increases in the new contract will cost the city about $1.08million, according to figures in a city staff report.